Ex-Benghazi panel staffer settles lawsuit against Rep. Gowdy

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for a former House Benghazi committee staffer says the ex-staffer has settled a lawsuit against the panel and its chairman, South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy.

Air Force Reserve Major Bradley Podliska had claimed he was unlawfully fired because he was unwilling to focus solely on Hillary Clinton and the State Department during the panel's inquiry into the deadly 2012 attacks at U.S. facilities in Libya.

Lawyer Peter Romer-Friedman said Monday that Podliska settled the case under undisclosed terms.

Gowdy said last year that Podliska was fired for mishandling classified information. Podliska denied that and claimed Gowdy defamed him.